11 Things You Need to Know Before Eating Cool Whip

At Delish HQ, Cool Whip may as well be its own food group. We love using the sweet whipped topping in super easy pies, slutty brownies, and even our madcap Snickers lasagna. Before you roll your eyes that we're not furiously stirring up homemade whipped cream for all of our dessert recipes, take note: Every year at least 40 percent of households have a container of Cool Whip in their fridge. And now this year, the sweet stuff is turning 50 years old. But we bet there's plenty of stuff you didn't know about Cool Whip—despite its long-standing popularity. Here's everything you need to catch up on:

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1. It's been around since 1966.

Cool Whip was first produced as an alternative to homemade whipped cream in Avon, NY. And it's still made there today.

2. It wasn't always served in a tub.

To make it look even better than the stuff that comes out of a can, Cool Whip launched a "swiggle" decorating canister that let you pipe designs onto your cakes, pies, and ice cream.

Sure, Cool Whip was a favorite among home bakers for layering in their icebox cakes, but it was the Watergate Salad, a.k.a. Pistachio Delight, invented in 1975 that featured the whipped topping as the main ingredient. And things only took off from there.

Cool Whip

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4. It inspired one of the funniest Family Guy jokes ever.

A long-running trope on the animated late-night show is Stewie's pronunciation of "Cool Whip," which bugs the crap out of Brian and is, um, odd to say the least.

5. It's not entirely dairy-free.

Though old advertisements sell the stuff as "non-dairy," the Cool Whip mixture is made from vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup, skim milk, and light cream.

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6. There are eight different types at your disposal.

Expanding on its original iteration, Cool Whip has since added Extra Creamy, Lite, Free (no fat), Sugar Free, and Season's Delight (including French vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) to its lineup.

7. It's about to look totally different.

This year, the brand will roll-out a much cleaner and more modern logo and overall package. Take a look at the new containers:

Cool Whip

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8. It's basically Jell-O's best friend.

As early as 1974, Cool Whip has been paired with Jell-O. Vintage ads even offered a two-for-one deal with the two products, which are both produced by Kraft (formally General Foods).

Cool Whip

9. But also pairs perfectly with pudding.

Chocolate desserts were a staple of the '80s, and with the rise of pudding pops, dirt cups, and mud pie, Cool Whip became a go-to for adding a creamy touch to pie fillings and topping off the rich cocoa treats.

10. You can thank the '90s for that unforgettable jingle.

"Do the Cool Whip" hit airwaves in 1999 and it's definitely been stuck in the back of your mind ever since.

11. It's essential to fans' five favorite recipes of all time.

Apparently fans of the whipped topping are so loyal to the brand they can't narrow it down to just one recipe. Their top five picks are, in order: Watergate Salad, Southern Banana Pudding, Gelatin Poke Cake, Graham Cracker Eclair Cake, and Coconut Cream Pie.